Storage Closet Having Frame and Soft Sided Storage Unit

ABSTRACT

A storage closet is disclosed that has a frame that supports a soft-sided storage unit. The frame is configured for ease of assembly. Some of the components may be packaged already assembled or at least partially assembled in subassemblies in order to reduce the difficulty of sorting. Moreover, the frame may be disposed externally relative to the soft-sided storage unit in order to reduce the potential for the frame to cause tears in the soft-sided storage unit.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority from U.S. Patent Appl. No. 60/869,858,filed on Dec. 13, 2006, which is hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

FIELD

This disclosure relates to storage closets, and in particular storageclosets having a frame supporting a soft sided storage unit.

BACKGROUND

Storage closets can be used as temporary or permanent storage, and canbe used in place of or to supplement permanent storage closets, such asthose permanently built into homes.

One type of storage closet is rigid, and may be made of particle boardor plastic. A disadvantage of such rigid storage closets is that theycan be bulky, as in the case of plastic storage closets, or heavy, as inthe case of particle board storage closets. Bulky storage closets can beexpensive to ship, particularly as compared to less bulky items and whenshipping rates are based upon volume. Particle board storage closets canbe difficult for purchasers to carry given their weights. Both types ofstorage closets can be difficult for consumers to assemble, and mayrequire multiple bolts, nuts, screws and the like for assembly.

Another type of storage closet includes a rigid frame and a soft-sidedstorage bag. The rigid frame typically includes multiple upstandingtubular legs, which are connected at their top ends by one or more crosstubes and at their bottom ends by one or more different cross tubes. Thesoft-sided storage bag may be cloth or plastic, for example, and issupported on its interior side by the rigid frame. An example of such astorage closet is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,490.

Assembly of storage closets having rigid frames and soft-sided storagebags can be difficult. In many instances, assembly of the tubular framesrequires sorting and joining of multiple tubes to other tubes andintermediate connecting members. Some of the tubes, such as the legs andthe cross tubes, may resemble each other and can be difficult to sort.Moreover, in some circumstances components of the frame can tear thesoft-sided storage bags.

SUMMARY

A storage closet is disclosed that has a frame that supports asoft-sided storage unit. The frame is configured for ease of assembly byreducing the number of components required for assembly and/or providingthe components with features to facilitate their assembly. Some of thecomponents may be packaged already assembled or at least partiallyassembled in subassemblies in order to reduce the difficulty of sorting.Some of the components may be configured to readily join to othercomponents, such as without the use of tools. Moreover, the frame may bedisposed externally relative to the soft-sided storage unit in order toreduce the potential for the frame to cause tears in the soft-sidedstorage unit.

In one aspect, the storage closet includes a frame having a pair of legsconnected at upper ends by an upper cross member. The upper cross memberincludes a center beam extending between the pair of legs. A pair ofwings are disposed proximate one or both ends of the center beam. Thewings may be provided already attached to the center beam in order toreduce the amount of assembly that is required. In order to reduce thevolume of the storage closet for shipping, storage and retail display,the wings may be selectively moveable between a collapsed positiongenerally parallel to the center beam and a position extending outwardrelative to the center beam for supporting the soft-sided storage unit.

The angle of the wings when in the position extending outward relativeto the center beam can vary, depending upon the configuration of thestorage closet. For instance, the wings may be generally perpendicularto the center beam when in the position extending outward relative tothe center beam, or they may be at an angle thereto. Furthermore, thewings at one end of the center beam may be at different angles, with oneof the wings being at an obtuse angle and the other of the wings beingat an acute angle relative to the center beam.

In another aspect, a wing connection assembly may be provided to joinone of the legs, the center beam and a pair of wings. The wingconnection assembly may be provided with the wings already attached,thereby requiring only attachment of the center beam and the associatedleg and thus simplified assembly of the frame. The wing connectionassembly may be provided with the wings and center beam alreadyattached, thus requiring attachment of only the associated leg. The wingconnection assembly may include an unfolded stop associated with each ofthe wings to generally maintain each of the wings in the positionextending outward relative to the center beam. The wing connectionassembly may also include a folded stop associated with each of thewings to generally maintain each of the wings in the positionedgenerally parallel to the center beam. A spring may be associated witheach of the wings to bias the wings into engagement with either or bothof the unfolded stop and the folded stop.

The soft-sided storage unit may hang from the wings. To this end,straps, hooks or the like may be attached to an upper panel of thestorage unit and used to hang the storage unit from the wings. Inanother aspect, the soft sided-storage unit may have an upper panel thatis positioned on top of the wings, and the wings and other adjacentcomponents may be configured to reduce tearing of the storage unit.

For storage closets that have a longer spacing between the legs, a pairof intermediate wings may be positioned along the center beam betweenthe pairs of wings at the ends of the center beam in order to provideadditional support for the soft-sided storage unit. Like theaforementioned wings, the intermediate wings may be pivotable betweenextended and collapsed positions, and may be provided preassembled witha wing connection assembly. For such longer storage closets, the centerbeam may have two components that are joined via a center connectionassembly or the wing connection assembly.

In another aspect, the pair of legs of the frame may be connected attheir bottom ends by a lower cross member. The lower cross member mayinclude a first portion that is pivotably connected to a lower end ofone of the legs. The lower cross member may also include a secondportion pivotably connected to a lower end of another of the legs.Providing portions of the lower cross member preassembled to bepivotably connected to lower ends of the legs can reduce and/or simplifythe amount of assembly of the frame that is required. The first andsecond portions of the lower cross member may be joinable to form thelower cross member, or may be one piece or packaged preassembled intoone piece. Similarly, the legs can include separate portions, or may beone piece or packaged preassembled into one piece.

In yet another aspect, a storage closet is disclosed that includes aframe and a soft-sided storage unit. The frame has a pair of legsconnected at top portions by an upper cross member and connected atbottom portions by a lower cross member. A plurality of wings extendoutwardly relative to the upper cross member. The soft-sided storageunit has an upper panel disposed between the upper and lower crossmembers and is configured to hang from at least some of the plurality ofwings. The soft-sided storage unit may include a pair of side panelseach disposed between the pair of legs. The legs may each includeoutward extensions adjacent their bottom portions, and the soft-sidedstorage unit may include a bottom panel that is connected to the outwardextensions of the legs. The wings are pivotably attached relative to theupper cross member, and moveable between extended and collapsedpositions.

In another aspect, the storage closet includes a frame having a pair oflegs connected at upper ends by an upper cross member. The upper crossmember includes a center beam extending between the pair of legs. A pairof wings are disposed proximate one or both ends of the center beam. Thewings are removable from the center beam to minimize the size of thecomponents when disassembled. In one example, the wings may each have aportion that can be inserted into a slot or other opening in anassociated one of the legs to simplify assembly. A plug can be used tosecure the wing relative to the leg. In this or any of the embodiments,the legs and other tubular members that are to be joined may includerubber, plastic or other materials on their ends that are inserted intoother tubular members to provide increased friction to assist inmaintaining the members joined.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a storage closethaving an external frame supporting a soft-sided storage unit;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the external frame of the storage closetof FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a detailed perspective view of a lower portion of the externalframe of the storage closet of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a detailed perspective view of an attachment between the lowerportion of the external frame and the soft-sided storage unit of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an upper cross assembly of the externalframe of the storage closet of FIG. 1 showing end wings and center wingsin extended positions;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the center wings and assemblyof FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of one of the end wings of the upper crossassembly of FIG. 5 in folded positions;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the one of the end wings of the uppercross assembly of FIG. 5 in extended positions;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of one of the end wings and a center beambeing inserted thereinto;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of one of the end wings and with thecenter beam inserted thereinto;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a storage closethaving an external frame supporting a soft-sided storage unit;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the external frame of the storagecloset of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an upper cross assembly of the externalframe of the storage closet of FIG. 11 showing end wings in foldedpositions;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an upper cross assembly of the externalframe of the storage closet of FIG. 11 showing end wings in extendedpositions;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a storage closethaving an internal frame supporting a soft-sided storage unit;

FIG. 16 is a partial exploded perspective view of an end wing and centerbeam of the internal frame of the storage closet of FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a storage closethaving an external frame for supporting a soft-sided storage unit;

FIG. 18 is an exploded perspective view of the storage closet of FIG.17;

FIG. 19 is a detailed exploded perspective view of a wing, leg and plugof the storage closet of FIG. 17;

FIG. 20A is a partial perspective view of a joined center assembly foruse in storage closets; and

FIG. 20B is a partial exploded perspective view of the center assemblyof FIG. 20A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various embodiments of storage closets in accordance with theabove-discussed aspects are illustrated in FIGS. 1-20 herein. Thestorage closets illustrated and described herein include a frame and asoft-sided storage unit. The frame and storage unit are configured forboth reduced volume during shipping, warehousing and retail display aswell as simplified assembly. To this end, the frame may includecomponents that are preassembled so that sorting is minimized, thenumber of components that must be joined to each other is reduced, andthe components are configured for ease of assembly.

In one embodiment, illustrated in FIGS. 1-10, the storage closet 10includes a frame 50 that supports a soft-sided storage unit 20. Theframe 50 includes a pair of legs 52 with an upper cross member 70extending between top end portions thereof and a pair of lower crossmembers 62 extending between bottom end portions thereof, as illustratedin FIG. 2. The upper cross member 70 includes a center beam 72 andmultiple pairs of outwardly-extending wings 86 and 88. The soft-sidedstorage unit 20 is adapted to be supported by the wings 86 and 88, suchas by hanging, as illustrated in FIG. 1, or by fitting over the uppercross member 70.

The frame 50 of the storage closet 10 is configured for minimizedsorting and simplified assembly. One way that this is accomplished is byproviding a subassembly 15 of the wings 86 and 88 that can be joined toends of the center beam 72 and one of the legs 52. The subassembly 15,as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, includes a pair of wings 86 and 88 thatare pivotably attached to a wing connection member 78. The wings 86 and88 are moveable from a compact or collapsed arrangement where they aregenerally parallel to each other, as illustrated in FIG. 7, to anextended arrangement where they extend outwardly relative to each other,as illustrated in FIG. 8. The wing connection member 78 is adapted topermit simplified attachment one of the legs 52 and the center beam 72.The wings 86 and 88 are adapted to permit the soft-sided storage unit 20to hang therefrom, such as by providing hooks 90 on the ends 86 and 88of the wings that received loops 42 attached to the top of the storageunit 20.

Another way that the storage closet 10 is configured for minimizedsorting and simplified assembly is by providing the lower cross member62 preassembled with the legs 52. This can advantageously reduce theamount of sorting of components that would be required, as well assimplify the assembly of the storage closet 10. More specifically, thelower cross member 62 comprises two separate components 64 and 66. Oneof the components 64 is pivotably attached to one of the legs 52, andthe other of the components 66 is pivotably attached to another of thelegs 52. Pivotably attaching the components 64 and 66 to the legspermits the components 64 and 66 to be readily moved from a storageposition where the components 64 and 66 are generally aligned with theassociated leg 52 to an erected position where the components 64 and 66are generally perpendicular to the legs 52, as illustrated in FIGS. 1and 2. The legs 52 may include an attached transverse outer sleeve 58that pivotably receives a transverse extension 60 that is attached toone of the components 64 and 66, as illustrated in FIGS. 1-3. Thesecomponents 64 and 66 can be selectively joined to each other once thelegs 52 and components 64 and 66 are in the erected position. Forexample, one of the components 64 may have a hollow end, opposite thetransverse extension 60, of a first diameter, and the other of thecomponents 66 may have an end, opposite the transverse extension 60,having a second diameter. The second diameter may be less than the firstdiameter to permit the ends of the components 64 and 66 to join. Afriction fit, pin, or the like may be used to secure the ends of thecomponents 64 and 66 together. Providing the legs 52 preattached to thelower cross member 62 in a subassembly permits the components 64 and 66to be readily pivoted from the storage position to the erected position,thereby simplifying assembly of the storage closet 10. Footings 140,which can include platforms 142 for supporting the frame 50 on a supportsurface or floor, are attached at opposing ends of the transverseextension, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4.

Turning now to more of the details of the subassembly of the wings 86and 88 and the wing connection element 78, the wing connection element78 includes a center stem 120, an upper platform 122, a lower platform124 and a depending shaft 126. The upper platform 122 is attached to thetop of the center stem 120, and the lower platform 124 is attached tothe bottom of the center stem 120, as illustrated in FIGS. 7-10. Thedepending shaft 126 extends from the lower platform 124, on an oppositeside thereof from the center stem 120. The depending shaft 126 and thecenter stem 120 are generally coaxial, and the upper and lower platforms122 and 124 are generally perpendicular thereto. The upper and lowerplatforms 122 and 124 each include through apertures 138 through whichprongs 106 on the ends of the wings 86 and 88 are inserted, asillustrated in FIG. 10.

Upwardly-facing surfaces on the upper and lower platforms 122 and 124include grooves 128 that function as stops to limit movement of thewings 86 and 88. In particular, each of the grooves 128 includes a firstsegment and a second segment that intersect at a generally right angle.With reference to one of the wings 86, its prongs 106 each havedepending portions and longitudinal portions that intersect at generallya right angle. The prongs 106 of the wing 86 are vertically aligned. Thedepending portion of an uppermost prong 106 is inserted into theaperture 138 in the upper platform 122, and a depending portion of alowermost prong 106 is inserted into the aperture 138 in the lowerplatform 124. The prongs 106 of the wing 86 are pivotable in theapertures 138 between two positions defined by the grooves 128, whichfunction as a stop. In one of the positions, the longitudinal portion ofeach of the prongs 106 at least partially lies in one of the segments ofthe groove 128, and in another of the positions, the longitudinalportion of each of the prongs 106 at least partially lies in the otherof the segments of the groove 128. When the longitudinal portion of theprongs 106 of the wing 86 lie in an aligned set of segments of thegrooves 128, the wing 86 is generally positioned either in the collapsedor expanded position.

The longitudinal portion of the prongs 106 of the wing 86 are biasedinto the segments of the grooves 128, such as by a spring 134, and thusgenerally held in either the collapsed or expanded position. The spring134 may be a compression spring, and surrounds the depending portion ofat least one of the prongs 106, as illustrated in FIG. 10. One end ofthe spring 134 abuts against an underside of the lower platform 124, andthe other end of the spring 134 abuts against an end cap 136 secured atthe end of the depending portion of the prongs 106. In this manner, thespring 138 biases the longitudinal portion of the prong 106, which isdisposed on an opposite side of the lower platform 124 from the spring138, into the groove 128. To move the wing 86 between collapsed andextended positions, the wing 86 is lifted, against the biasing force ofthe spring, until the longitudinal portion of the prong 106 is spacedfrom one of the segments of the groove 128, and then can be rotated intoa position above the other of the segments of the groove 128 andreleased to allow the spring 138 to bias the longitudinal portion of theprong 106 into the aligned segment of the groove 128. Although a spring138 has been illustrated as being on only one of the two prongs 106 ofthe wings 86 and 88, a spring 138 may be placed on both of the twoprongs 106.

The wing connection element 78 is adapted to connect to both one of thelegs 52 and to the center beam 72 in order to join the wings 86 and 88,the one of the legs 52 and the center beam 72. The center beam 72 has apair of vertically-arranged depending prongs 116 at each end, asillustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10. A lowermost prong 116 is adapted to beinserted through a through slot 130 formed in the center stem 120, whilean uppermost prong 116 is adapted to be inserted into an aperture in theupper platform 122. Each of the platforms 122 and 124 includes a groove132 for receiving a longitudinal portions of the prongs 116 adjacenteach of the depending portions of the prongs 116. When the longitudinalportions of the prongs 116 are received in the grooves 132, and when thedepending portions of the prongs 116 are received in the aperture in theupper platform 122 and the through slot 130 in the center stem 120, thecenter beam 72 is connected to the wing connection element 78. Theinterior of the wing connection element 78 may have a bore that isoptionally sized to provide a friction fit with the depending portionsof the prongs 116 of the center beam 72 in order to provide additionalsecurement between the center beam 72 and the wing connection element78. In order to connect the upper end of the legs 52 to the wingconnection elements 78, the bottom of the depending shaft 126 may have abore with an opening on an opposite end from the lower platform 124. Thebore may have an internal diameter dimensioned to receive an externaldiameter of the upper end of one of the legs 52 to join the leg 52 tothe wing connection element 78. Alternatively, the outer diameter of thedepending shaft 126 may be dimensioned to be received in a bore on theupper end of the leg 52. In either case, the diameters may be configuredto provide a friction fit to secure the leg 52 to the wing connectionelement 78.

In order to reduce the required length of any packaging of theunassembled storage closet 10, several of the longer components maycomprise multiple elements that are easily joined to form a singlecomponent. As discussed above, the lower cross member 62 may includemultiple components 64 and 66, of less length than when combined, thatare configured to be easily joined to each other to form the longerlower cross member 62. Similarly, the legs 52 may each comprise twoseparate components, and upper leg component 54 and a lower legcomponent 56, that can be easily joined to form the leg 52. Like thelower cross member 62, one of the leg components 54 and 56 may have areduced diameter end that is received in a larger diameter end of theother of the leg components 54 and 56. A friction fit, pin, or the likemay be used to secure the ends of the upper and lower leg components 54and 56 together.

In addition to having the legs 52 and lower cross member 62 formed ofseparate components in order to reduce the require length of anypackaging of the unassembled storage closet 10, the upper cross member70 may also be formed of separate components. In particular, the centerbeam 72 may be formed of two separate components 82 and 84 in order toreduce the unassembled length of the center beam 72. Each of thecomponents 82 and 84 of the center beam 72 has an end with a pair ofprongs 116 for joining to one of the wing connection elements 78 and anopposite end configured to be joined relative to the like end of theother of the components 82 and 84. The components 82 and 84 may eachinclude a hinge cylinder. That is, one of the components 82 may includea hinge cylinder 94, and the other of the components 84 may include ahinge cylinder 96 positioned below the other hinge cylinder 94 when thecomponents 82 and 84 are arranged with axes of bores of the hingecylinders 94 and 96 aligned. A hinge pin 112 can be inserted through thealigned bores of the hinge cylinders 94 and 96 to pivotably join thecomponents 82 and 84 of the center beam 72. Alternatively, thecomponents 82 and 84 may be provided already hinged together, whetherpermanently or otherwise.

In order to prevent the connected components 82 and 84 of the centerbeam 72 from pivoting when the storage closet 10 is fully assembled, anupper bracket 80 may be positioned around an upper side of thecomponents 82 and 84 and a lower bracket 98 may be positioned around alower side of the components 82 and 84, as illustrated in FIG. 6. Withreference to the lower bracket 98, it being understood that the upperbracket 80 is similar in construction, a longitudinal channel 100 isprovided for receiving ends of the components 82 and 84 and preventingthem from pivoting about the hinge pin 112. Internal ribs 102 may bedisposed on the internal and facing surfaces of the channel 100 in orderto provide a friction fit with the ends of the components 82 and 84 ofthe center beam 72. In order to secure the upper and lower brackets 80and 98 with the ends of the components 82 and 84 therebetween, the hingepin 112 extends through central openings in both brackets 80 and 98. Oneend of the hinge pin 112 has a gripping knob 114, and the other end ofthe hinge pin 112 has external threading. The end of the hinge pin 112with threading can be inserted through the central opening in the lowerbracket 98, through the bores of the hinge cylinders 92 and 94, andthrough the central opening in the upper bracket 80. A cap 110 havinginternal threading may be threaded onto the external threading of thehinge pin 112 to secure the upper and lower brackets 80 and 98 together,with the ends of the components 82 and 84 of the center beam 72sandwiched therebetween. The hinge pin 112 is restricted from removal bythe gripping knob 114 at one end and the cap 110 at the other end. Tosimplify assembly of the center beam 72, the cap 110 may have anexternal polygonal shape that is received in and prevented from rotatingby a corresponding polygonal-shaped recess 96 formed about the centralopening in the upper bracket 80. Thus, when the knob 114 is rotated torotate the attached hinge pin 112, the cap 110 does not rotate and thethreaded end of the hinge pin 112 can be threaded into the cap 110.

In order to provide additional support for the soft-sided storage unit20, a pair of wings 86 and 88 may be attached to the upper and lowerbrackets 80 and 98. More specifically, the upper and lower brackets 80and 98 may each have a projecting platform 104 on opposite sides of thechannels 100, extending transverse to an axis of the channels 100, witha through aperture for receiving the depending portion of the prongs106. The platforms 104 also can include grooves 108 disposed on uppersurfaces to receive longitudinal portions of the prongs 106 of the wings86 and 88 to assist in preventing the wings 86 and 88 from rotating andmaintain the wings 86 and 88 in positions extending outwardly from thecenter beam 72.

Turning now to more of the details of an exemplary embodiment of thesoft-sided storage unit 20, the unit 20 has multiple rectangular-shapedpanels, including a top panel 22, and bottom panel 24, a pair of sidepanels 26, a back panel 28 and a front panel 30. The front panel 30 mayinclude a large opening 38, selectively coverable by an attached doorpanel 40, for providing access to an interior of the unit 20. Clothesmay be hung on the interior of the storage unit 20, such as on hangershung from an interior rod. The interior rod may in turn be connected tothe underside of the top panel 22, hang from the center beam 72, orotherwise be supported inside the unit 20. The front panel 30 may alsoinclude a small opening 32, selectively coverable by an attached doorpanel 36, for providing access to an interior of the unit 20. Theinterior of the unit 20 disposed behind the small opening 32 may includeshelves 34 suspended in the interior of the unit 20, such as in the samemanner as the rod. The doors 36 and 40 may be removably attached to thefront panel 30 via zippers, Velcro or the like. As discussed above, thetop panel 22 may have loops for attachment to the hooks 90 of the wings86 and 88 to hang the soft-sided storage unit 20 from the frame. Inorder to provide additional securement, the bottom panel 24 of thestorage unit 20 may include straps 44 that can be positioned between abody 144 and a projection 146 of the footing 140, as illustrated in FIG.4.

Another embodiment of a storage closet 200 is illustrated in FIGS.11-14. The storage closet 200 of FIGS. 11-14 is similar in many aspectsto the storage closet 10 of FIGS. 1-10, with the primary differencebeing that the storage closet 200 of FIGS. 11-14 has a reduced length.

The storage closet 200 includes a frame 250 that supports a soft-sidedstorage unit 210, as illustrated in FIG. 11. The storage unit 220 isformed of generally rectangular panels, including a top panel 214, abottom panel 216, a pair of side panels 212, a front panel 220 and aback panel 218. The front panel 220 includes an opening 222 selectivelycoverable by a door panel 224. The interior of the storage unit 210includes a rod for hanging clothes on hangers.

The frame 250 includes a pair of legs 252, lower cross members 262extending between bottom ends of the legs 252 and an upper cross member270 extending between top ends of the legs 252. Like the priorembodiment, the legs 252 may include two separate components 254 and 256that can readily be joined and the lower cross members 262 may includetwo separate components 264 and 266 that can readily be joined. Thelower cross members 62 can be preassembled with the legs 52 to reducethe amount of sorting of components that would be required, as well assimplify the assembly of the storage closet 200. One of the components264 is pivotably attached to one of the legs 252, and the other of thecomponents 266 is pivotably attached to another of the legs 252. Thelegs 252 include an attached transverse outer sleeve 258 that pivotablyreceives a transverse extension 260 that is attached to one of thecomponents 264 and 266, as illustrated in FIG. 12. These components 264and 266 can be selectively joined to each other once the legs 52 andcomponents 264 and 266 are in the erected position.

The upper cross member 270 of the storage closet 200 includes pairs ofwings 286 and 288 attached via wing connection elements 278 disposed atopposite ends of a center beam 272. The subassemblies of the wings 286and 288 and the wing connection element 278 is generally the same asthat described above with respect to the storage closet 10 of FIGS.1-10. However, the center beam 272, due to its decreased length ascompared to the center beam 72 of the storage closet 10, is unitary. Acenter hook 292 is provided in the mid-section of the center beam 272 toreceive a loop attached to the top panel 214 of the soft-sided storageunit 210 for providing additional support. The subassemblies of thewings 286 and 288 and the wing connection element 278 may be providedeither already attached to the center beam 272 or separate. If thesubassemblies are already attached, as illustrated in FIG. 13, the wings286 and 288 can simply be pivoted from their collapsed positions,illustrated in FIG. 13, to their expanded positions, illustrated in FIG.14.

Another embodiment of a storage closet 300 is illustrated in FIGS. 15and 16. The storage closet 300 of FIGS. 15 and 16 is similar in manyaspects to the storage closet 10 of FIGS. 1-10 and the storage closet200 of FIGS. 11-14, with the primary difference being that the storagecloset 300 of FIGS. 15 and 16 is non-rectangular. That is, thesoft-sided storage unit 310 is trapezoidal, having non-parallel sidepanels 316 and a front panel 312 with a length greater than a back panel314.

The storage closet 300 includes a frame 350 that supports the soft-sidedstorage unit 310, as illustrated in FIG. 15. The interior of the storageunit 310 includes a rod for hanging clothes on hangers. Instead ofhanging from the frame 350, as in the previous embodiments, thesoft-sided storage unit 310 is illustrated as fitting around the frame350. Specifically, a top panel 318 of the soft-sided storage unit 300 isdisposed on top of wings 386 and 388 and a center beam 372 of an uppercross element 370. Alternatively, the storage closet 300 could beconfigured, as described with respect to the above embodiments, to havethe top panel 318 disposed below and hung from the upper cross member370.

The subassemblies of the wings 386 and 388 and the wing connectionelement 378 is similar to those subassemblies discussed above withrespect to the previous embodiments. However, in order to accommodatethe trapezoidal shape of the storage unit 310, several modifications aremade to the frame 350 as compared to the frames 50 and 250 of theprevious embodiments. In particular, the prong 316 on each end of thecenter beam 372 is positioned at an angle. When the prong 316 isinserted into an aperture 382 of the wing connection element 378, and across-tie 318 is nested in a vertical groove 380 on the wing connectionelement 378, as illustrated in FIG. 16, the wings 386 and 388 are atdifferent angles relative to the center beam 372. One of the wings 386is at an acute angle θ and the other of the wings 388 is at an obtuseangle α in order to support the trapezoidal top panel 318 of thesoft-sided storage unit 310. Ends of the wings 386 and 388 are roundedso that they will not tear the soft-sided storage unit 310.

In another embodiment of a storage closet 400 as illustrated in FIGS.17-19, wings 430 are provided separate from a center beam assembly 410but are configured to be readily joined during assembly of the storagecloset 400. The center beam assembly 410 includes a truss 428 extendingbetween a pair of connector posts 412. The connector posts 412 areadapted to mate with associated legs 414, as will be discussed ingreater detail below. Each of the wings 430 has a central cross piece434, a central arcuate support piece 436 and a pair of closet supporthooks 432 at opposing ends, as illustrated in FIG. 19. To facilitatejoining the wings 430 to the center beam assembly 410, the cross piece434 is configured to be received in a slot 438 formed in an end of theconnector post 412 of the center beam assembly 412. Engagement betweenthe cross piece 434 and the portions of the connector post 412 adjacentthe slot 438 can restrict rotation of the wing 430 about a longitudinalaxis of the post 412. When the cross piece 434 is seated in the slot438, the arcuate support piece 436 abuts against the exterior of theconnector post 412, as illustrated in FIG. 17, to further restrict thewing 430 from movement relative to the post 412 in a directiontransverse to the longitudinal axis of the post 412. Finally, a plug 442can be inserted into the open end of the tubular connector post 412 torestrict the wing 430 from being lifted away from the post 412.

The plug 442 has a circular cap portion 444 with a circular dependingskirt 446. The skirt 446 has a slot 448 formed therein for receiving theportion of the cross piece 434 of the wing 430 that is positioned in thepost 412 to further restrict movement of the wing 430. The diameter ofthe cap portion 444 is preferably, though not necessarily, larger thanthe inner diameter of the post 412 such that the cap portion 444 limitsthe extent to which the plug 442 can be inserted into the post 412. Thediameter of the skirt 446 can be less than or about the same as theinner diameter of the post 412 to permit the skirt 446 to be insertedinto the post 412, and can be sized to provide a friction fittherebetween.

Turning now to other details of the storage closet 400, the frameincludes legs 414 that are joined to transverse legs 422 at one end andto the connector posts 412 at an opposite end. As in the aforementionedembodiments, the legs 414 may include two separate components 416 and418 that can readily be joined. The transverse legs 422 can includefootings 426, such as those discussed above. The transverse legs 422 mayalso include a perpendicularly extending portion 424 comprising atubular member that is configured to mate with the legs 414. Lower crossmembers 420 are also provided extending between the transverse legs 422,as illustrated in FIGS. 17 and 18. The lower cross members 420 may beunitary, or may comprise multiple components. To join the lower crossmembers 420 to the transverse legs 422, the transverse legs 422 may eachhave openings 456 facing each other for receiving the ends of the lowercross members 420. To this end, the openings 456 have a diameter largerthan that of the lower cross members 420. Once received in the opening456, a screw 452 can be inserted through an aligned but outwardly facingopening 450 in the transverse legs 422 and threaded into an internallythreaded portion 454 on the end of the lower cross member 420 to securethe lower cross member 420 to the transverse legs 422.

The tubular elements of the storage closet 400 that are to be assembled,including the leg components 416 and 418, the connector posts 412 andthe perpendicularly extending portion 424 of the transverse legs, areconfigured for simplified assembly having narrow diameter ends that areinsertable into hollow standard diameter ends of adjacent components tosecure the components to each other. To further facilitate assembly, thenarrow diameter ends may have a different type of material thereon toprovide a friction fit with the hollow standard diameter ends. Forexample, if the tubular components are metal, then a rubber or plasticcoating, sleeve, or protruding plug 440 can be fitted to the narrowdiameter ends for frictional engagement with the inner walls of thehollow standard diameter ends of the adjacent components. Such afriction component can be used with any of the aforementionedembodiments when a like method is used to join the components.

Although not illustrated, a soft sided storage bag of the typesdiscussed above can be used with the frame of the storage closet 400 ofFIGS. 17-19. The storage bag can hang from the hooks 432 of the wings430, and may include a central fabric loop that can be attached to amidpoint of the center beam assembly 410. To provide a hanging rod inthis or other of the disclosed embodiments, s-shaped hooks, or othersuitable hooks, are hung at one of their ends from the truss 428 andhave their opposite ends inserted through openings in the top panel ofthe storage bag. A plurality of such hooks can be used to hang a rod inthe interior of the storage bag. The openings in the top panel may besurrounded by rivet rings for reinforcement.

In one aspect, the aforementioned center beam assemblies may be dividedinto two or more components joinable using a combination of pins andapertures, as illustrated in FIGS. 20A and 20B. This can result incenter beam assemblies 500 that can be shipped in shorter packaging,then assembled after shipping or after sale to the end user. The centerassembly 500 includes two components 502 and 504 in the illustratedexample, although more than two could also be used. Each of thecomponents 502 and 504 includes a plate 512 and 514 having an aperture518 and 520. When the plates 512 and 514 are aligned, a pin 516 or thelike can be inserted through the apertures 518 and 520 to assist injoining the components 502 and 504. One of the components 504 may alsoinclude an extending pin 510 that can be inserted through an aperture508 in a plate 506 attached to the other of the components 502 to assistin joining the components 502 and 504.

The drawings and the foregoing descriptions are not intended torepresent the only forms of the storage closets in regard to the detailsof construction and manner of operation. Changes in form and in theproportion of parts, as well as the substitution of equivalents, arecontemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient; andalthough specific terms have been employed, they are intended in ageneric and descriptive sense only and not for the purposes oflimitation.

1. A storage closet comprising: a frame having a pair of legs connectedat upper ends by an upper cross member, the upper cross member having acenter beam extending between the pair of legs and at each end a pair ofwings selectively foldable between a position generally parallel to thecenter beam and a position extending outward relative to the centerbeam; and a soft-sided storage unit configured to be supported by theframe.
 2. The storage closet of claim 1, wherein the pair of legs areconnected at bottom ends by a lower cross member.
 3. The storage closetof claim 2, wherein lower cross member includes a first elementpivotably connected to one of the legs and a second element pivotablyconnected to another of the legs, the first and second elements beingjoinable to form the lower cross member.
 4. The storage closet of claim1, wherein a wing connection assembly joins one of the legs, the centerbeam and a pair of wings, the wing connection assembly including anunfolded stop associated with each of the wings to generally maintaineach of the wings in the position extending outward relative to thecenter beam and a folded stop associated with each of the wings togenerally maintain each of the wings in the positioned generallyparallel to the center beam.
 5. The storage closet of claim 4, wherein aspring is associated with each of the wings and biases the wings intoengagement with either the unfolded stop or the folded stop.
 6. Thestorage closet of claim 5, wherein the unfolded stop and the folded stopeach include a groove formed in the wing connection assembly.
 7. Thestorage closet of claim 4, wherein the wings in the folded position aregenerally perpendicular to the center beam.
 8. The storage closet ofclaim 4, wherein the wings at one end of the center beam are atdifferent angles, one of the wings being at an obtuse angle and theother of the wings being at an acute angle relative to the center beam.9. The storage closet of claim 1, wherein the storage unit has an upperpanel hanging from the wings.
 10. The storage closet of claim 1, whereinthe storage unit has an upper panel supported on its underside by thewings.
 11. The storage closet of claim 1, wherein a pair of wings arepositioned along the center beam between the pairs of wings at the endsof the center beam and the center beam has two components that arejoined via a center connection assembly, the center connection assemblybeing configured to support the pair of wings that are positioned alongthe center beam between the pairs of wings at the ends of the centerbeam.
 12. A subassembly of a frame having legs and a cross beam forsupporting a storage unit, the subassembly comprising: a wing connectionmember adapted to join one of the legs and the cross beam; and aplurality of wings pivotably attached to the wing connection member andmoveable between positions generally parallel to each other andpositions extending outwardly relative to each other, the plurality ofwings be adapted to support the storage unit.
 13. The subassembly ofclaim 12, wherein the wing connection element has a first stopassociated with each of the wings to generally maintain each of thewings in the extended position and a second stop associated with each ofthe wings to generally maintain each of the wings in the positionedgenerally parallel to each other.
 14. The subassembly of claim 13,wherein: a spring is associated with each of the wings and biases thewings into engagement with either the unfolded stop or the folded stop;and the unfolded stop and the folded stop each include a groove formedin the wing connection assembly.
 15. A storage closet comprising: aframe having a pair of legs connected at top portions by an upper crossmember and connected at bottom portions by a lower cross member, aplurality of wings extending outwardly relative to the upper crossmember; and a soft-sided storage unit, the soft sided storage unithaving an upper panel disposed between the upper and lower cross membersand hanging from at least some of the plurality of wings.
 16. Thestorage closet of claim 15, wherein the soft-sided storage unit includesa pair of side panels each disposed between the pair of legs.
 17. Thestorage closet of claim 16, wherein legs each include outward extensionsadjacent their bottom portions and the soft-sided storage unit includesa bottom panel that is connected to the outward extensions of the legs.18. The storage closet of claim 15, wherein the wings are pivotablyattached relative to the upper cross member.
 19. The storage closet ofclaim 15, wherein a portion at least one of the wings is received in aslot in one or more of the top portions of the legs and the upper crossmember.
 20. The storage closet of claim 19, wherein the slot is in atubular portion of the legs or upper cross member and a plug isinserterable at least partially into the tubular portion, the plughaving a slot for being positioned adjacent the portion of the wings.21. The storage closet of claim 19, wherein the wing has an arcuatesegment for abutting against an arcuate exterior surface of the one ormore of the top portions of the legs and the upper cross member.